Behind the Magic: How we built the ARKit Sudoku Solver

What we learned from our first foray into Machine Learning

Brad Dwyer is the founder of Hatchlings, a startup that makes games and mobile apps in Des Moines, Iowa.

A few weeks ago my company, Hatchlings, released Magic Sudoku for iOS11. It’s an app that solves sudoku puzzles using a combination of Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Augmented Reality. You can try the app by downloading it from the App Store on your iPhone 6S (or newer) or iPad Pro.

We have gotten a ton of attention including getting voted to the front of 9GAG, being listed as a top ARkit app by places like Gizmodo and CNET, and being called out by Fast Company’s design blog as one of the only AR apps that doesn’t “stink”.

Many people have asked me about the app so I thought it would be fun to share some behind the scenes of how and why we built it.

This is the second post in a 3-part series. Part one explained why we built Magic Sudoku and what makes it different from other augmented reality apps, and part three will explore the business side.

Subscribe or follow me on twitter and you’ll be the first to know when part three comes out. And don’t forget to download the app and give it a try yourself!

How does Magic Sudoku work?

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